Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2024
358. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans to extend teacher training in the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone. [2685/24]
View answerHigher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, and the Technological Universities Act 2018. As such they are autonomous in relation to their administrative and academic affairs, and the courses and numbers of places offered by any institution are a matter for the individual institutions to determine.
The Department of Education oversees teacher education policy. My Department engages with the Department of Education on workforce planning needs. Any new programmes of teacher education are subject to accreditation by the Teaching Council and Higher Education Institutions engage directly with the Teaching Council in this regard.
